Pruitt vs Rubio

The Florida Senate is wisely keeping House Speaker Marco Rubio's tricle down ideas at arm's length.

“I’m not inclined to bring out a property tax proposal just for the simple fact of having one out there,” Senate President Ken Pruitt just said at the Policy and Calendar Committee.

Lee Constantine is even more blunt.

“This has the ability… to bring Florida’s economy to its knees. We’re going to be cautious. We’re going to be deliberate. We’re going to be methodical. And we’re going to do it well.”

The Florida-Times Union notes that Pruitt is working hard to keep the caucas together. Pruitt is portraying himself as a peacemaker.

"With Ken Pruitt, everything must be transparent," former Senate President Jim King said. "He encourages everybody to work things out on their own."

Rubio has no problem punishing those who disagree with him. Don Brown and Dennis Ross when they voting against the property insurance bill. It be interesting to see if Rubio does some behind the scenes backstabbing to Pruitt.

I was always amazed that Rubio didn't sink with Ralph Arza. Rubio praised him after his hate-filled phone messages to Gus Barreiro. Arza was to be Rubio's duputy before the phone incident. It was well-known that Arza was a bully. I received several off-the-record emails from people who told their horror stories.

Rubio asked Brown and Ross to step down from their committees and then continued to lie about it after Ross went public.

Ross said Rubio called him into his office this afternoon and asked him to step down. The speaker said, according to Ross, "he needs leaders that are with him on major votes."

"My vote cost me my chairmanship. That's the price you pay if you want to express yourself," Ross said, though he added that he did not hold hard feelings toward the speaker. "This is a very emotional issue, highly charged, and very political….I was aware that there would be consquences [to voting against the bill.]"

Rubio contends, "This morning Representative Don Brown and Representative Dennis Ross offered their resignations as Council Chairmen in the House. Their resignations have been accepted. I respect their decisions and look forward to working with them in their new roles."

Ken Pruitt should be very careful.